Former Jackson Police Officers Sentenced for Accepting Bribes

JACKSON—Former Jackson Police Officers Monyette Quintel Jefferson, 27; Terence Dale Jenkins, 25; and Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., 26, were sentenced in U.S. District Court today for accepting bribes from an undercover FBI agent, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced.

Monyette Quintel Jefferson was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the FBI in the amount of $20,500.

Terence Dale Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the FBI in the amount of $10,000.

Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr. was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the FBI in the amount of $10,000.

On June 10, 2010, Monyette Quintel Jefferson made an agreement with an undercover FBI agent, whom he believed was a drug trafficker, to protect a shipment of 100 kilograms of cocaine that would be coming into Hawkins Field Airport in Jackson, Mississippi.

On June 25, 2010, the undercover FBI agent, posing as a drug trafficker, met with Jefferson and Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr. at the Metro Center Mall in Jackson. Jefferson and Payne agreed to protect a shipment of cocaine that was coming into Jackson that day. They also agreed that Jefferson, Payne, and another police officer would receive payment for protecting the shipment of cocaine coming into Jackson.

Jefferson arrived at Hawkins Field in his JPD patrol vehicle and met with the undercover FBI agent. At approximately 3:50 p.m. that same day, JPD Officer Terrence Dale Jenkins, driving a JPD patrol vehicle, met with the undercover FBI agent in the parking lot of Hawkins Field for the purpose of providing police protection for a drug transaction. The undercover FBI agent informed Jenkins that the total drug shipment involved approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. At approximately 3:55 p.m., another FBI agent, working in an undercover capacity, arrived and simulated the purchase of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the first undercover FBI agent in the presence of Jenkins. After the exchange took place, the first undercover FBI agent paid Jenkins $5,000 for his assistance in protecting this drug transaction. Jenkins then provided further protection by following the second undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field to Interstate 20 in Jackson.

At approximately 4:10 p.m., JPD Officer Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., driving a JPD patrol vehicle, met the first undercover FBI agent in the main parking lot of Hawkins Field for the purpose of providing police protection for another purported drug transaction. The undercover FBI agent informed Payne that the total drug shipment involved approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. At approximately 4:15 p.m., a different undercover FBI agent arrived and simulated the purchase of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the first undercover FBI agent in the presence of Payne and Jefferson. After the exchange, the first undercover FBI agent paid Payne $5,000 for helping to protect the simulated drug transaction. Payne then provided further protection by following the third undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field to the vicinity of Hanging Moss Road in Jackson.

After the simulated drug transactions were completed, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the undercover FBI agent paid Jefferson $6,000 in the Hawkins Field parking lot for providing protection for the first undercover FBI agent during the aforementioned simulated drug transactions.

“The vast majority of police officers work hard every day to protect the citizens and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis, “but these officers chose to use their law enforcement positions to protect illegal drug transactions. Their corrupt conduct is deserving of the sentences imposed today.”